1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to equipment for the food service industry and more particularly to an automated device for wrapping utensils in a napkin for use as a place setting.
2. Description of the Related Art
Restaurants and other food service establishments often roll utensils such as forks, knives and spoons in napkins before presenting them to their customers. Rolling the utensils in this manner serves several purposes, including enhancing the decor of the table and providing a convenient way to prepare a table prior to the customers' arrival. In addition, rolling the utensils in the napkin provides an easy way for the servers to handle the utensils without contacting them and thereby ensuring that the utensils remain clean. Currently, a napkin must be rolled around the utensils one at a time by hand by a waiter, waitress or bus person. This process is time consuming and inefficient. There is currently a need to provide a method and apparatus for increasing the efficiency of this process. A number of automatic utensil packaging devices have been developed in the past in an attempt to reduce the cost associated with wrapping utensils in napkins. Examples of these devices are disclosed in the following patent documents.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,659,394 issued to Hartleib et al. discloses a method and machines for wrapping articles. The method and machine involve withdrawing a sheet of material from a supply reel and leading it into engagement with an article that is to be wrapped. The article is then rotated so that the sheet material is wrapped around the article. The method and machine are used for wrapping and labeling general articles.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,688 and International Application number WO 97/08052 issued to Dunbar et al. disclose a method for wrapping silverware in a napkin. The method and apparatus for automatically wrapping at least one eating utensil in a napkin includes a receiving area for the utensils and napkin and a wrapping mechanism. The wrapping mechanism includes a frame, a belt and a belt manipulator. The belt has a first surface that frictionally contacts the napkin. A portion of the belt is movable to form a trough in which the napkin and utensil are manipulated and urged by frictional contact with the belt. The belt urges the napkin and folds and rolls it, automatically wrapping the utensils.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,908 issued to Vetsch, K. R. discloses a method and apparatus for folding a napkin around an eating utensil. The device comprises a housing having a conveyor belt system for advancing the napkin through the device along a horizontal path. As the napkin passes through the device it contacts a folding belt that causes a corner of the napkin to be folded back onto it. Pieces of silverware are delivered from storage bins in timed relation to the movement of the napkin and are placed on top of the napkin. The napkins and silverware then contact a rolling belt that rolls the napkin around the silverware. The rolled napkin is transported out of the device and into an external holding bin.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,913 issued to Gray et al. discloses an apparatus and method for wrapping silverware within a napkin. The apparatus includes a worktable with an upwardly opening trough for accepting a napkin and silverware items. The napkin is automatically placed over the trough and silverware is then directed onto the napkin so that the silverware falls to the bottom of the trough and positions the napkin between the silverware and the bottom of the trough. A rotatable blade is positioned within the trough for spinning the napkin and silverware until the napkin is wrapped around the silverware.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 2002/0112445 discloses a device for automatically wrapping eating utensils in a napkin. The device includes a number of hoppers for sortingly holding eating utensils, a tray for holding the napkins, a staging assembly for receiving the napkins from the tray and the utensils from the hopper, a wrapping assembly for wrapping the napkin around the utensils and a banding assembly for placing a band around the wrapped napkin. The device further includes an ultraviolet light assembly for sanitizing the utensils while they are in the hoppers.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 2002/0124534 discloses an apparatus and method for automatically wrapping silverware in a napkin. The utensil wrapping apparatus includes a utensil-manipulating device for placing the utensils adjacent a napkin. Two utensil engaging devices are provided for releasably engaging the ends of the utensils and the portions of the napkins that are adjacent the utensils. The napkin and utensils are held in a fixed relative position. A napkin guide is provided for wrapping the napkin around the utensils.
European Patent EP 0841247 discloses a device for packing cutlery in a serviette. The serviette is supplied to a conveyor belt that is not as wide as the serviette. At a loading station the cutlery is loaded onto the serviette. In the packing station of the device, two coaxial winding rollers are set spaced by the length of the cutlery at the sides of the belt. The looping angle of the rollers can be increased by a guide roller, placed on the belt underside, so that the paper can roll around the winding rollers to enclose the silverware. The rollers are then raised so the belt stretches. Once the rollers are removed from the winding body, the paper lies on the belt and is moved to the side closing devices to close the ends of the wrapped body.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus an automatic silverware wrapping machine solving the aforementioned problems is desired.